Those with Ears to Hear…

The polls are in…25% of Christians think 2007 may be the year of Christ’s return. It is no wonder people think the Lord may come this year…in light of the news of the day. Wars and rumors of wars…Iraq suffers greatest attacks of the war, hundreds killed and wounded in a marketplace when a truck carrying thousands of pounds of explosives was detonated.

The morning news had a lot more than the Super Bowl scores to report: While New Orleans struggles to make even minor progress in rebuilding, word comes that devastating wildfires are destroying large areas of Australia, which is suffering a severe drought. At the same time, the Midwest states and Mountain States are suffering with intense cold, winter blizzards of unusual frequency, white-out conditions that have closed major highways and winds that have literally blown vehicles off the road. During the same weekend, central Florida has been hit with a series of tornados that have left four counties reeling from the destruction. On the other side of the planet, people in the city of Jakarta, Indonesia are flooded out from torrential rains and more coming with thousands displaced, water, electricity, and telephone services cut off.

Whether you identify with these “signs of the times” or not, will we consider the words of Jesus that remind us to prepare daily for His coming…for understanding that now is the time for salvation…through trust in Him? Will we listen to Him who encouraged us to fear not, but to trust Him and to follow Him? He called us to learn from Him. If hearing the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and responding to its truths does not help the world, nothing will.

Will we join in helping our neighbors, or pretend our neighbor is no further than our sight? Will we read of the homeless in our own town and ignore the needs of the multitudes dying of hunger and disease a few hours flying time away? Will we examine our stewardship of resources in a new light and consider our personal responsibilities as stewards of creation? Will we join in fighting the battles against disease and poverty as earnestly as we call for ideas and creativity in meeting the demand for newer technology and better safety nets for our own comfort?

Jesus said that we won’t know the day or the hour of His coming, but He did say to be ready. That’s a word for all of us…today!